The Story of Pascualete // The Earth Rests Lightly — Aline Griffith

One of the ten best-dressed women of the world, the rich, beautiful, and glamorous Condesa de Romanones began life as Aline Griffith of Pearl River, New York, a girl destined for a fairy-princess existence. How this young woman was sent to Spain as an intelligence agent in World War II, how she met and married the handsome Conde de Romanones and restored Pascualete, his ancient estate, is told in an enchanting memoir that richly reflects the charm, intelligence, and superb taste of its remarkable author.
The owner of several large ranches worked by tenant farmers, the Count had never visited his fincas in the remote province of Extremadura before his young wife persuaded him to make the trip. Recalling their search for the property, the Countess describes how she and her party set out from the old town of Trujillo, finally arriving dramatically at midnight on the grounds of the ancient estate which dates back to the Middle Ages.
The transformation of this rambling medieval buidling into a warm, hospitable country home (complete with swimming pool and airport) was accomplished with considerable initiative. Determined to trace the history of the old Palacio, the Countess reveals how she studied paleography in order to read the hundreds of old documents relating to its past.
With characteristic warmth and humor, she describes her colorful experiences with the estate workers; Primitivo, the hereditary guard of the Senores Condes; and Pillete, who owns the Bar Imperior in Trujillo and knows the answer to everything. Her own vitality and enthusiasm for the projects shines through the narrative, whether she is speaking about the renovations, her research, or her fascinating and fashionable friends.